Discovering My Niche: Finding Fulfillment and Meaning in the Person God Created Me to Be

By Gary A. Chapman

Is the life I live now all there is?

Whats the point?

What do I do with myself for the rest of my life?

At some point, all of us will struggle with these critical questions. Discovering My NICHE provides a step-by-step model for discerning WHO God created you to be. With that knowledge, determining what God intended for you to DO with your life becomes clearer and more fulfilling.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: May 31, 2016
• ISBN: 9781512736885

Gary A. Chapman

Involved in professional ministry since 1977, Gary Chapman has ministered through Christian education in churches in Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and Virginia. More recently, he retired after eleven years as director of the Christian Leaders Link, a leader training ministry of Virginia Baptists. Gary is a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University and received his Master in Religious Education and Doctor of Education from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. A native of the mountains of North Carolina, Gary lives in Virginia with his wife, Janie. In addition to his passions for reading, writing, and teaching, he enjoys golf and college sports, especially those involving Virginia Tech.

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Copyright © 2016 Gary A. Chapman.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission. NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks of Biblica, Inc. Use of either trademark for the offering of goods or services requires the prior written consent of Biblica US, Inc.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

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ISBN: 978-1-5127-3689-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-3690-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-3688-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016905717

WestBow Press rev. date: 5/31/2016

CONTENTS

Dedication

Foreword:   When You Come To A Fork In The Road

Preface

Introduction:   The Back Story

Chapter 1:   Seeking Our Sweet Spot

Chapter 2:   Who’s In Your Cockpit?

Chapter 3:   N–Atural Bent

Chapter 4:   I–Ndividual Personality

Chapter 5:   C–Harisma (Spiritual Gifts)

Chapter 6:   H–Eart And Passion

Chapter 7:   E–Xperiences And Accomplishments

Chapter 8:   Find Lasting Contentment In The Niche Tailor–Made For You

Appendix 1:   Skills & Interests Categories

Appendix 2:   Spiritual Gifts Prayer Guide

DEDICATION

This book is lovingly dedicated to my wife, Janie, who has patiently walked with me as I continue to discover my own NICHE. Her presence and encouragement has made the journey that much more fulfilling.

FOREWORD

WHEN YOU COME TO A FORK IN THE ROAD

The title of Yogi Berra’s autobiography captures a sliver of wisdom for living. Yogi counseled us simply: when you come to a fork in the road, take it. Growing up on Italian Hill in Saint Louis, Yogi had approached a neighborhood street intersection many times. He had learned life’s decision points demand wisdom and practical action.

With practical wisdom, Gary Chapman provides help for those of us who are committed to discerning and doing God’s best in and with our lives. Use Gary’s NICHE model. Begin now. Take finding and stewarding your NICHE in life seriously.

As you read the pages ahead, allow Gary’s model (and Yogi’s sayings) to guide your future steps:

• If you don’t know where you are going, you will wind up somewhere else, observed Yogi. Faith is a gift to be paid forward. It requires discipline and discernment. Gary’s NICHE model gives you a trustworthy pathway for finding your next steps in life and ministry.

• It’s like déjà vu all over again, said Yogi. Some of us are slow learners. We repeat our stumbles. Gary’s model provides multiple points for us to find our blind spots, see our patterns, and choose our best directions.

• It gets late early out there, Yogi once thought during a road trip. While it’s never too late to hear God’s calling in your ears, early starts and timely discoveries leave more years and additional opportunities for you to follow your calling. Start your NICHE pilgrimage now.

• The game isn’t over until it’s over, claimed Yogi hopefully. God graces us with new beginnings. As long as you live and breathe, you can identify your NICHE and use it for holy ministry.

Your future lies in your hands and in God’s heart. Read Gary’s instructions now. Reflect now. Discover now. Act now. Your NICHE is your launch pad for new horizons.

Dr. Robert D. Dale

Writer–Coach–Teacher

Richmond, VA

PREFACE

Who is your toughest leadership challenge? Yourself.

— Bill Hybels, pastor of Willow Creek Community Church

In his book, A Work of Heart, author and leadership consultant Reggie McNeal wisely recognizes, Self–understanding is the most important information you will need as a leader. And, that self–understanding begins and ends with God. Though a dimension of leadership often neglected by leaders, self–leadership provides clues as to who God created us to be, our values and convictions, what we’re capable of doing, and why we do what we do.

There are a lot of people and agendas competing for our time, energy, commitment, money, etc. I know; I live in that world, too! Too easily we begin to compare ourselves and our life to that of others. To choose to model our life after others is not an altogether bad thing. But, if taken too far, we can shortchange ourselves, attempting to become someone we were never meant to be and spending our life engaged in tasks we were never meant to do.

That each of us is here in this specific period of human history is no coincidence. God placed us here for more than just a comfortable existence. In creating us, he has a specific purpose and influence in mind. At the same time, we’re given the awesome privilege of charting our life’s path with God.

My own personal experience and interactions with others, though, suggests discerning who we were created to be and our God–ordained purpose is easier said than done. Some simply opt to sleepwalk through life with no real purpose or meaning. Still others, allow the world and the agenda of others to map the course of their life. The truly wise, though, will do the hard work of getting to know the real person God created them to be. They soon discover that taking care of the being (who God created them to be) allows the doing (their God–given purpose in life) to more naturally follow.

A desire to become the best self we can be is not self–centered. Failure in self–leadership causes us to flirt with anxiety, frustration, stress, confusion, and burnout. Marriages and families are neglected. Physical bodies are ignored. We begin to major on minors. We lose any sense of joy and meaning. Unable to lead ourselves, we’re ineffective in leading others. At best, we’re running on fumes. When that happens we’re reminded that Scripture calls us to be living sacrifices, not dead ones (Romans 12:1)!

Personally, I fear I’ve missed a lot of joy along the way because of misunderstandings and confusion about who God created me to be. Knowing my time on this earth is growing shorter by the minute, I find myself regretting time I may have spent on good things at the expense of the better things God may have intended for me all along. Truth is, I suspect that’s true of many of us. After all, it’s not hard to spot the glazed looks and just going through the motions of life that characterize too many of us. Then, factor in our hardheaded resistance to submission to God’s plan for our life. Is it any wonder that so many of us flounder through life trying to convince ourselves that life holds more meaning than what we’re experiencing now?

The NICHE model in the pages that follow represents my attempt to find answers for myself for two of the really weighty questions of life all of us struggle with: Who am I and why am I here? In the midst of my journey, I discovered one overarching life principle: There’s no need for us to be like anyone or better than anyone as long as we’re the best us we can be.

From reading Scripture, I’m convinced even Jesus spent a great deal of time exploring these two greater questions of life. Similarly, discovering our NICHE is a proactive, intentional walk that only we can take for ourselves. As one who continues that trek daily, I can assure you it’s worth the trip!

INTRODUCTION

THE BACK STORY

"… being confident of this, that he who